This invention relates to retaining coaxial contacts in an electrical connector, and in particular to a crimp snap retention system for releasably securing coaxial contacts in an electrical connector.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,293 lances on the outer conductor of a coaxial contact to removably mount a coaxial contact in a housing. As the coaxial contact is pressed into a passage of a housing from the rear, the spring lances flex inwardly and slide along the walls of the passage. When the proper insertion depth has been reached, such as when detentes engage a stop shoulder, the spring lances resile radially outward such that the trailing edges align with respective shoulders. Should the coaxial contact be moved in a direction opposite to insertion, the trailing edges of the lances engage shoulders and prevent removal of the coaxial contact. To remove the coaxial contact, a tool is inserted into the front of the passage in which the coaxial contact was received. The tool passes between the outer surface of the outer conductor and the passage wall to press the spring lances inwardly, thereby releasing them from shoulders and permitting the coaxial contact to be withdrawn from the passage. To provide space between the outer surface of the outer conductor and the passage wall for insertion of the removal tool permits the coaxial contact to become axially misaligned in the passageway.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,711, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a coaxial contact having flanges along a seam in the outer shell for releasably securing the coaxial contact in a housing. The flanges extend rearward of the insertion direction and collectively diverge in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion. The flanges flex inwardly toward each other as they pass through a restriction in the housing when the coaxial contact is inserted thereinto. As the trailing edges of the flanges pass through the restriction, the flanges resile outwardly such that the trailing edges are aligned with respective shoulders. Should the coaxial contact be moved in a direction opposite to insertion, the trailing edge of the flanges engage the shoulders thereby preventing removal of the coaxial contact. To remove the coaxial contact, a tool is inserted from beneath the housing, perpendicular to the axis of the contact, to press the trailing edges of the flanges toward each other such that the flanges will pass back through the restriction as the coaxial contact is moved rearward of the insertion direction and out of the housing.
A snap-in retention system for pin or socket contacts is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,373.
It would be desirable to have an improved system for releasably mounting and securing a coaxial contact in a housing that maintains the axial alignment of the contact with respect to the housing and the aperture in which the coaxial contact is mounted.